She Likes to Watch

I swear I’m not one of those movie quote people.

You know what I mean, right? I’m talking about those folks who seem to have no original thoughts of their own. Instead, everything they say is a line from John Travolta in “Pulp Fiction,” an impression of Billy Murray talking about gophers or some obscure monologue from a Monty Python flick they’ve seen 146 times.

Well, that’s just not me. For one thing, I can’t remember quotes from a movie I saw 30 minutes earlier. Secondly, people who incessantly recite movie lines tend to be —how shall I put this . . .

Dorks.

I mean, yeah, I appreciate good dialogue like everyone else. But if the guy in the cubicle next to you can’t seem to avoid the Luke Skywalker lines, well . . . Houston, we’ve got a problem, if you know what I mean.

Now, okay — here’s the thing, though. I do find myself often reciting lines like, “You’re out of your element!” “That rug really tied the room together, did it not?” and “I can get you a toe by 3 o’clock this afternoon.”

Which could — in theory — qualify me for dork status. But I think this is an exception. After all, “The Big Lebowski” is no ordinary movie. Heck, nearly a decade after the film was made, even the actors recite lines from it.

That’s one of the many things I’ve gleaned from “I’m a Lebowski, You’re a Lebowski,” a new book from the guys who created Lebowski Fest. If you don’t know what the title refers to, you might as well stop reading this blog entry (as if you haven’t already). Because this book is pretty much for the Lebowski faithful, those who simply can’t see Jeff Bridges in an movie without saying, “Hey — it’s The Dude!”

“The Big Lebowski” is, of course, the Coen brothers’ classic noir comedy that somehow tanked at the box office but has taken on a huge life as a cult classic. The Lebowski Fest has taken place in several states and is now prepared to cross the ocean.

The book is great because it features interviews with many of the actors in the movie and the people who inspired the characters.

Some interesting tidbits:

· Much of the Dude’s wardrobe — including the jelly shoes — came from Bridges’ own closet. “Lebowski” is his favorite movie.
· John Turturro has pitched a spin-off to the Coen brothers that would spotlight his character, Jesus. (Don’t count on it, though. The Coen brothers aren’t into sequels.)
· Larry, the kid who stole the Dude’s car, was inspired by a real-life teen car thief who now works in the film industry.
· Jerry Haleva, the guy who played Saddam, had a career working at the California legislature and is now a lobbyist. He has appeared as Saddam in every movie he has appeared in — six total.
· The Coen brothers were very particular about their lines, inserting “uh’s” and “ah’s” to mimic real language. Julianne Moore, who played Maude Lebowski, said she filmed one really long sequence, which the Coen brothers liked, but then made her redo because she added one word: “really.”
· One of the inspirations for Walter is John Milius, who wrote “Apocalypse Now.” Milius describes himself as a militaristic Republican — sort of a fish out of water in Hollywood. He is also one of the original founders of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

— Pat P.